Legendary Arsenal defender Lauren has been named as the unsung hero of the Invincibles squad.
When Lauren arrived in north London in May 2000 for a fee of £7million, few knew about his previous exploits for RCD Mallorca in La Liga. After being linked with Real Madrid and Roma, the Cameroonian opted to join Arsene Wenger’s Gunners, where the Frenchman immediately convinced him to swap being a midfielder for a new role at right-back.
Despite his initial scepticism and injury-ridden first season, Lauren’s shift to the defence quickly proved to be a revelation as he played a crucial part in winning the Premier League and FA Cup double in 2001/02. He’d go on to make 32 appearances in the 2003/04 season, helping Arsenal become the only English side in over a century to go an entire season unbeaten.
Yet, partly because of his unglamorous role and partly due to the world class quality of Ashley Cole, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, his role in that side is often understated or forgotten. However, his team-mate Jeremie Aliadiere, who was breaking into the squad during that period, talks highly of the combative defender’s influence both on and off the pitch.
Speaking exclusively to football.london via Betting Tools, Aliadiere said: “He was very underrated but a massive character in the dressing room and that’s what I loved about Lauren. He never played for or looked for glory. He just did his job unbelievably well.
“A great player and leader but nobody in terms of the press or fans were talking about him. He was such a big part on the pitch and a big talker in the dressing room.”
Aliadiere went on to add: “Very tough guy. He loved a bit of boxing and fights and all that. When there was a battle to be won on the pitch you knew Lauren had your back.”
Lauren undoubtedly had a fearsome reputation on the right flank during his six seasons for Arsenal between 2000 and 2006, before spending another three seasons in England with Portsmouth. For the Gunners, he totted up an impressive 45 yellow cards in 241 appearances, though he picked up just one red in that time.
His aggression was best summed up when Freddie Ljungberg, who played on the wing in front of him, famously said during an appearance on Match of the Day 2 in 2012: “I had Lauren behind me, for example. If anyone kicked me he would kick the s*** out of them.”
Lauren enjoyed getting stuck in (Image: Mirrorpix)
Lauren’s unwavering nerve at one point saw him become Arsenal’s designated penalty taker in north London derbies. But the same passion that made him such a formidable defender also got him into trouble in 2003 during the infamous ‘Battle of Old Trafford’.
After Ruud van Nistelrooy dived to get Gunners skipper Vieira sent off, the Dutchman smashed his last gasp penalty onto the bar, allowing Arsenal to continue on their unbeaten run. Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Lauren all let Van Nistelrooy know exactly what they thought of him as the final whistle blew, with the Cameroonian also kicking out at Quinton Fortune and throttling Phil Neville.
He was slapped with a £43,000 fine and handed a lengthy ban for his role in the controversy, being charged on counts of violent and improper conduct. Did he regret it? Absolutely not.
The Cameroonian wasn't afraid to clash with opponents (Image: The People)
Lauren later said: "If I have to protect the people I care for, I will do it again. That game shows how much of a strong bond we had, because we were playing fantastic football, we were one of the best teams to watch on TV.
"But at the same time, we were all very competitive, and we all had that strong spirit amongst the dressing room. And that particular time in that moment showed how much we cared about each other. So I don’t have any kind of regrets."
Lauren left Arsenal in the summer of 2006 after missing much of the season with injury, with Emmanuel Eboue gradually replacing him and playing in the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona. Lauren also made 24 appearances for Cameroon, winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice, in 2000 and 2002.
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